Northern Limestone Alps
Encyclopedia
The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges
of the Eastern Alps
north of the Central Eastern Alps
located in Austria
and the adjacent Bavaria
n lands of southeastern Germany
. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition. If viewed on a west-east axis, the Northern Limestone Alps extend from the Rhine valley and the Bregenzerwald
in Vorarlberg
, Austria in the west extending along the border between the German federal-state of Bavaria
and Austrian Tyrol
, through Salzburg
, Upper Austria
, Styria and Lower Austria
and finally ending at the Wienerwald
at the city-limits of Vienna
in the east.
The highest peaks in the Northern Limestone Alps are the Parseierspitze
(3,036 m/9,961 ft) in the Lechtal Alps
, and the Hoher Dachstein
(2,996 m/9,826 ft). Other notable peaks in this range include the Zugspitze
, (2,962 m/9,717 ft), located on the German-Austrian frontier and listed as the highest peak in Germany.
Ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps according to the Alpine Club classification
(from east to west):
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
of the Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Splügen Pass in eastern Switzerland. North of the Splügen Pass, the Posterior Rhine forms the border, and south of the pass, the Liro river and Lake Como form the boundary line.-Geography:The...
north of the Central Eastern Alps
Central Eastern Alps
The Central Eastern Alps comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition....
located in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the adjacent Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n lands of southeastern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition. If viewed on a west-east axis, the Northern Limestone Alps extend from the Rhine valley and the Bregenzerwald
Bregenzerwald
Bregenzerwald is one of the main regions in the state of Vorarlberg, Austria. Geologically, the Bregenzerwald is a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, specifically the northern flysch zone. It is the drainage basin of the Bregenzer Ach river....
in Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
, Austria in the west extending along the border between the German federal-state of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and Austrian Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, through Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
, Styria and Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
and finally ending at the Wienerwald
Wienerwald
The Vienna Woods are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The long and wide hill range is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese....
at the city-limits of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in the east.
The highest peaks in the Northern Limestone Alps are the Parseierspitze
Parseierspitze
Parseierspitze is, at 3,036 metres tall, the highest mountain of the Northern Limestone Alps and the only one that exceeds the 3,000 m mark. The peak consists of Radiolarite rocks preventing it from erosion....
(3,036 m/9,961 ft) in the Lechtal Alps
Lechtal Alps
The Lechtal Alps are a mountain-range in western Austria, and part of the greater Northern Limestone Alps range. Named for the Lech River which drains them north-ward into Germany, the Lechtal Alps occupy the Austrian states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg and are known for their diverse rock...
, and the Hoher Dachstein
Hoher Dachstein
Hoher Dachstein is a strongly karstic Austrian mountain, and the second highest mountain in the Northern Limestone Alps. It is situated at the border of Upper Austria and Styria in central Austria, and is the highest point in each of those states...
(2,996 m/9,826 ft). Other notable peaks in this range include the Zugspitze
Zugspitze
The Zugspitze, at 2,962 metres above sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains as well as the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the border between Germany and Austria runs over its western summit. South of the mountain is...
, (2,962 m/9,717 ft), located on the German-Austrian frontier and listed as the highest peak in Germany.
Ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps according to the Alpine Club classification
Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps
The Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps or AVE is a division of the Eastern Alps into 75 mountain groups and is commonly used in mountaineering...
(from east to west):
|
Berchtesgaden Alps The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre... (14) Loferer Steinberge The Loferer Steinberge are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps in the Eastern Alps of central Europe. They are located in Austria in the federal states of Tyrol and Salzburg... and Leoganger Steinberge Leoganger Steinberge The Leoganger Steinberge are a mountain range in Austria in the state of Salzburg and form part of the Northern Limestone Alps within the Eastern Alps... (15) Chiemgau Alps The Chiemgau Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and therefore belong to the Eastern Alps. Their major part is situated in Bavaria, Germany and only a small section crosses the Austrian border into the states of Salzburg and Tirol... (16) Kaisergebirge The Kaisergebirge is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps. It consists of two main mountain ridges – the Zahmer Kaiser to the north and the Wilder Kaiser to the south. The entire range is situated in the Austrian state of Tyrol between the town of Kufstein and the... (17) Brandenberg Alps The Brandenberg Alps are a sub-group of the Northern Limestone Alps, that run in front of the Eastern Alps for their whole length. They lie entirely in Austria between Achensee in Tyrol, the Inn Valley and the Bavarian Prealps.... (18) Bavarian Prealps The Bavarian Prealps are a mountain range within the Northern Limestone Alps in south Germany. They include the Bavarian Prealp region between the river Loisach to the west and the river Inn to the east; the range is about 80 km long and 20-30 km wide. The term is not defined politically, but... (19) Karwendel The Karwendel is the largest range of the Northern Limestone Alps. Four chains stretch from west to east; in addition, there are a number of fringe ranges and an extensive promontory in the north.... (20) Wetterstein The Wetterstein, is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps. It is a compact range between Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald, Seefeld in Tirol and Ehrwald; partially in Bavaria, Germany and partially in Tyrol, Austria... (21) Ammergau Alps The Ammergau Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Bavaria and Tyrol . They cover an area of about 30 x 30 km and begin at the outer edge of the Alps... (22) Allgäu Alps The Allgäu Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.-Principal summits:-External links:*... (23) Lechtal Alps The Lechtal Alps are a mountain-range in western Austria, and part of the greater Northern Limestone Alps range. Named for the Lech River which drains them north-ward into Germany, the Lechtal Alps occupy the Austrian states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg and are known for their diverse rock... (24) Bregenzerwald Bregenzerwald is one of the main regions in the state of Vorarlberg, Austria. Geologically, the Bregenzerwald is a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, specifically the northern flysch zone. It is the drainage basin of the Bregenzer Ach river.... (26) |
See also
- Geography of the AlpsGeography of the AlpsThe Alps cover a large area. This article describes the delimitation of the Alps as a whole and of subdivisions of the range, follows the course of the main chain of the Alps and discusses the lakes and glaciers found in the region....
- Limestone AlpsLimestone AlpsThe Limestone Alps are the two mountain ranges, roughly long, which run parallel to the main mountain range of the Austrian Central Alps and to its north and south...
- Southern Limestone AlpsSouthern Limestone AlpsThe Southern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps mainly located in northern Italy and the adjacent lands of Austria and Slovenia. The distinction from the Central Alps, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological...